


On The Fence

by irishgirl321



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Ireland, On the Fence!Reader, Skepticism and Science, Slow Build, Supernatural Elements, ghosts and demons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-06-12 16:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15344064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishgirl321/pseuds/irishgirl321
Summary: 'on the fence:Not making a decision or taking a side when presented with two options or possibilities.'Ghosts and demons. Are they real? You've never been exactly sure, and you're not certain that you ever will be. However, joining the Ghoul Boys on their adventures is bound to be fun no matter what. And yeah, a free trip to the Emerald Isle and getting to know Shane Madej isn't the worst way to spend the second month in your new job either.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for stopping by. This chapter is mainly to set up the story, and poor Shane is having a rough day. I just wanted to clarify a few things very quickly...  
> The first is that I'll be finishing up my internship position in two and a bit weeks, and then I start a full time job. I will try and update as regularly as I can, but my life probably will get in the way. Of course, comments inquiring about when I will update are absolutely fine and leaving them is so encouraged, but I'd just ask that you be polite about it!  
> The next thing is just about the setting. When I searched for haunted places in the US it was too difficult to find ones close together. I started thinking about all the places I knew here in Ireland simply from living in this country, and decided I could deliver the best content if I know what I'm talking about. So I based it in Ireland. I still had to read some articles for background research, but a lot of it I know from local legends. Hopefully you like it!  
> On another note. This fic is not meant to portray Sara in a bad light IN ANY WAY. People grow apart and move on. It's how life goes. I will be as respectful as I possibly can be to her in this, and while I highly doubt anyone would, being negative or disrespectful about her in the comments is not okay!  
> That's pretty much it for now, so go on, and I hope you enjoy!

You knew you were incredibly lucky to get the job. There was no doubt about that at all. In the past few years, Buzzfeed had completely blown up. You had watched the Youtube videos somewhat jealously, wishing you could work there. Despite everything that could be wrong with it at times, it looked incredibly fun.

And then it had happened. You’d split from your long term boyfriend, and without him you found yourself alone in a city with no one else really around. Having moved with him for his job, because you had thought he was ‘the one,’ you had left your family and friends behind in a different state. You had been planning on moving back, when you saw the job advertisement on LinkedIn. A Buzzfeed staff writer wanted for the L.A. department. An opening like this was incredibly rare, and now that you found yourself with no baggage to stop you, you had applied. To be honest, you hadn’t really expected a response. No doubt there would be a lot of competition, and while you had decent qualifications, you would certainly not be the best applicant. It was a total surprise when you were asked for a Skype interview, which immediately sent your stomach into nervous butterflies. 

The day before it took place, you went to the hairdressers, and spent the entire day reading answers to potential questions from flashcards. The day flew by, and before you knew it, the interview was here. Sitting at the desk in your hotel room, you stuttered slightly, but didn’t feel like you’d botched your chances. In fact, when you ended the call you felt pretty good about yourself, though you tried not to get your hopes up too high. 

It only took two days for them to get back to you, and this time they asked you to come to L.A. for a face-to-face interview. Nearly screaming with excitement, you agreed, and then proceeded to dance around your room in your underwear. After phoning your parents and your best friend to tell them the good news, you sat down to book flights and accommodation. Buzzfeed would reimburse you for it later, so you weren’t worried about the cost. You bought a new outfit for the interview, wanting to look cute and formal, but also bubbly enough to show that you’d be a good match in the creative environment. 

While waiting for the day to come, you occupied yourself with watching more Buzzfeed videos than you ever had before. Dimly, you remembered hearing a lot about a certain web show they ran, which apparently was very popular at the moment. It only took a minute for you to recall the name.  _ Buzzfeed Unsolved. _ Yes, that was it.

Typing it into the search bar, you watched the results appear. Scrolling back to the first video, you hit play. It was short, but you found you liked it. With no hesitation at all, you clicked on the second video, a longer, 45 minute episode. Soon, you found yourself laughing at the antics of the two hosts on-screen. One was a believer in all things supernatural, jumping at even the slightest noise. The other, the taller guy, was both a total skeptic and hysterically sarcastic. You found yourself lapping it up, devouring all the episodes one after the other. It was brilliant, funny, and you loved it. You could totally see why people were raving about this. It was incredible. 

Over the following three days, you watched all the episodes. With the latest season being true crime, you knew that soon enough they would start prepping for a supernatural season, and while you loved both the supernatural episodes were definitely your favourite. It only then occured to you that if everything went well, you would be working in the same place as Ryan and Shane. You’d actually get to see them and talk to them. The thought had you freaking out in both a good and bad way. You didn’t want to come across as a weird fan, but you really wanted to become friends with them. It was going to be pretty hard to act casual when you met them.

Soon enough, you boarded a plane and flew to L.A. The hit heat you as soon as you stepped out of the airport, and you fanned yourself with a pamphlet you had picked up about local celebrity tours. Hailing a cab, you headed to your hotel. After taking a nap for an hour, you grabbed your interview cards and headed down to the pool to get some sun while you rehearsed. It was intensely warm, so you didn’t spend more than an hour there before heading back inside. 

Ordering room service, you studied a bit more in your room before deciding that you just needed to put them away and trust yourself. You showered, watched some TV, and then turned off the light at 10 o’clock. Usually you were a bit of a night owl, but you needed to be rested tonight. 

Morning came, and so did the final round. The deciding factor. Slipping out of bed, you showered once more. You applied your make-up, and made sure your hair looked decent. Dressing in your interview outfit, you grinned at your reflection in the mirror. It was perfect. 

There was no fuss in ordering a cab, as you had pre-booked at the check-in desk last night. When you got downstairs you only had to wait five minutes before the attendant said it had arrived. Thanking her, you strode out the glass doors and slipped into the car’s cool interior. It didn’t take him long to reach Buzzfeed HQ, and you were there half an hour earlier for your interview. It may have been slightly too early, but it was certainly better than being late The closer you walked towards the white building, the more your heart began to pound. Until this moment you hadn’t realised exactly how much you had wanted this. 

You lingered for a bit in order to pass some time, and then when the clock hit the fifteen minute mark you decided to go in. Entering the building, you headed to the reception desk. You kept your eyes on the ground, not wanting to see anyone (Ryan, Shane) and lose your cool. The man sitting there was extremely friendly, with a toothpaste-advert smile, and told you to take a seat. You did as you were told, clasping your hands on your lap and losing yourself in thought.

The fifteen minutes quickly passed, and then they were five minutes late for your interview. You didn’t mind, and just smiled graciously at the HR manager when she apologised and shook your hand. She ushered you into a lift, down a corridor, and into a room. Once there, she chatted to you casually for a few minutes, making you feel at ease, before moving onto the questions. You answered as best as you could, making a joke where you felt it was appropriate, and always smiling. The expression on her face as she regarded you made you feel like you were doing well, and you relaxed slightly. It was one of the most enjoyable interviews you had ever had, and when you left you felt really good about it. 

She dropped you back to the lobby, saying that she would be in touch with you in a few days. Thanking her, you said your goodbyes. Heading towards the front door, you opened your bag, reaching in to rifle around for your phone to call an Uber with. You didn’t notice the other person until you walked into each other, shoulder’s banging against one another. You stumbled back, startled.

“I’m so sorry,” you exclaimed, eyes lifting to the face of the person you had walked into.

You blanched, mouth opening slightly.  _ No. Way. _ Shane Madej continued to move past you, a scowl on his usually happy face. He looked extremely pissed, and you felt yourself shrink back from him.

“Maybe watch yourself next time,” he grumbled.

And then he was gone, stepping past you and back into the building. Despite yourself, you turned to watch him go, wanting to say something else but unable to. He didn’t look back, just stepped through the doors and into the offices. Not able to move, you continued to stare, even as the door swung back and blocked him from view.

_ Don’t meet your heroes. _

Not that he was your hero, but you had liked him on screen. He had seemed nice.

Hanging your head, you swallowed the bitter disappointment flooding through you. Feeling a lot less elated than you had been minutes before, you dragged your feet as you left the building. The strong sunlight had you blinking, and you glanced around at your surroundings.

The only other person around was a girl. She was short, with curly dark hair. Another look told you it was tinged with purple. She was cute, but looked sad. Lifting her head, she caught your gaze and shot you a small smile. You returned it tightly, thinking she looked somewhat familiar. Another Buzzfeed worker, undoubtedly.

Standing off to the side of the door, you finally located your phone. As you unlocked it and started to open the app, the other girl’s own phone began to ring. 

“Hi,” she answered in a high pitched voice. Someone must have said something, because she paused. After a few seconds she sighed and spoke again. “Yeah. He saw Dan drop me off. I was hoping to tell him myself, but looks like I blew that.”

You tuned out after that. Her man problems were none of your business. She continued to talk, and while you weren’t listening it was hard not to hear as you waited for your car. From the gist of it, her ex boyfriend had seen her with her new man. You knew from person experience just how awkward that could be. Especially if the break up was fairly fresh.

When your Uber came, you opened it and climbed in. He brought you back to the hotel, and you switched on the TV as you tried to forget the embarrassing encounter with Shane Madej. That night you went to the hotel’s restaurant for food, before retreating to your room. The next day you caught your flight back to the city. It was awkward, returning to the apartment you shared with your now ex-boyfriend, and you seriously hoped that you would be moving anywhere soon. 

It didn’t take long for your wish to come true. The day after you returned home, you got the call. The job was yours. You were now a staff writer at Buzzfeed.

It was all systems go from there. They wanted you to start within two weeks, and it seemed like someone was looking out for you. You rang a college friend who lived there, asking if she knew of someone who needed a roommate. With a loud laugh, she told you that she did. Her current roommate was moving out with her fiance, and she needed someone in as soon as possible. Excited, you enquired about rent. It was doable on your salary, and so it was instantly decided. You would move in with Sasha.

You started to pack immediately. When you told your ex, he looked relieved, though he did wish you the best. The split had been as amiable as it could be, with you both simply falling out of love, but it was still weird to have to live together. You had just been glad for the spare bedroom. Your parents helped you move, and you really didn’t have that much stuff to bring with you.

In a week and a half, you were in your new room in your L.A. apartment. Hanging a final stream of fairy lights above your bed, you stood back to admire your work. The room was mainly painted white and small, with polaroid pictures pegged on string across the walls. Fairy lights may above the bed, lining bookshelves, and a warm feeling grew in your chest. It was only large enough for your double bed, a nightstand on one side and bookshelf on the other. There was a bit of space at the end of the bed, before the wardrobe and chest of drawers lined the wall opposite the bed. A door stood off to the right. It was nowhere near as big as your old room, but you found you loved it. You had decorated it completely as you had wanted, with no one else to encroach and critique. It was refreshing to have a space that you felt was entirely your own. 

 

***

 

Your first article gathered an above average reception, which you were fairly happy with. It was titled ‘22 Images That Perfectly Capture What It’s Like To Be The New Girl At Work,’ and to be fair, you had a lot of fun compiling images. Buzzfeed seemed to like writers utilizing their creative side, and so they gave you a lot of free reign with what content you decided to work on. You could write what you wanted, but it needed to be sent to the department editor for approval before posting. He was a nice guy, a bit quiet, but you liked him well enough. 

The other writers were lovely. You were in a section of the office which mostly contained other relative newbies, though you were the newest. They were kind and supportive, and invited you to drinks on Friday, which you really appreciated. 

You met a few of the more famous Buzzfeed workers, the first being Kelsey. In person she was just as bubbly as she was online, and had this bright demeanor that made you feel better just by standing near her. You chatted to her in the kitchen area for around ten minutes, talking about moving to L.A. and getting used to all the sun. When you told her you’d basically moved to get away from living with an ex-boyfriend she patted your arm sympathetically. You ended up going for coffee a few times, and really enjoyed those occasions.

You were about a month into working at Buzzfeed when it happened. The office was mostly empty as everyone had gone out for lunch, but you wanted to get a piece finished so you had stayed at your desk. You were eating a burrito, brow furrowed as you tried to think of your next line, when someone burst through the doors at the end of the open plan office. Peering over the top of your cubicle, you saw a frantic guy snapping his head around. His eyes landed on you, and he jogged over.

“Hey, _____, right?”

“Right,” you smiled, dusting your hand on a napkin before you offered it to him to shake. “Ned, am I correct?”

He nodded, eyes fixed on your face. “Are you doing anything important right now?”

“Not really,” you shrugged.

“Perfect. Is there any chance you could join in on a video? Someone didn’t show up, and now we have a spare slot. The camera crew have other appointments so we need to get it done now.”

“Oh, of course!” You replied, excited. “I’d love to.”

“Any animal allergies?”

“Nope.”

“Amazing,” he was visibly relieved. “C’mon, follow me.”

You glanced at your half-eaten burrito, before shrugging and putting it back down on your desk. Ned set off, and you hurried after him. One lift ride and two hallways later, and you were stepping into a room. It was only then, when your eyes settled on a makeshift table with two cloth covered boxes, that you realised you hadn’t asked what you were getting yourself into. Your eyes fell on the person standing behind the table, and you felt yourself freeze again.

He smiled at you sheepishly, obviously nervous, but still friendly. Taking a deep breath, you returned the expression and moved up to Ned’s side. Around you, a camera crew was poised. You nodded at them before Ned’s hand fell onto your back and he ushered you towards the boxes.

“_____, this is Ryan.”

“Hi,” the other guy said, outstretching a hand. “Sorry if my palms sweaty. I’m nervous.”

Despite yourself, you chuckled. Taking his hand, you shook it firmly. “Hi Ryan. It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Okay,” Ned clapped his hands. “I don’t want to rush you guys, but we need to get this wrapped up. _____, can you stand beside Ryan? Behind one of the boxes. Yes, perfect. Cameras ready? Okay, go!”

For a second, you looked at Ryan. You knew your face showed just how lost you were. He regarded you emotionlessly for a few seconds, before you both burst out laughing. 

“Ohhhhh, fuck me,” Ryan groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “I can’t believe I agreed to do this again.”

You just looked confused, glancing from Ryan to Ned. The man in charge stepped forward, grinning at you both. “Alright guys. So there are two boxes in-front of you. One contains a kitten, and the other one has a tarantula in it.”

You felt your jaw drop in horror. Ryan just groaned louder. Unable to speak, you just stared at the boxes before you. Someone stepped forward, tugging the cloth away from it and you could see velvet covering the top of the tank. The back of it was solid, giving you no way to see what was inside. 

“You’re gonna have to reach in and gently place your hand on the bottom of the tank.”

“Are you joking?” You found yourself asking. “You better joking.”

Ned just laughed. “I’m not joking.”

“No,” Ryan had his hands over his mouth. “Last time I did this, there was a puppy and a snake. I got the snake. I have the worst luck with this.”

“Do you want to pick?” You asked him. While you were scared, he seemed a bit more terrified.

“Yeah. Okay.” He nodded vigorously, seeming slightly shaky. “I want the one you’re in-front of.”

You giggled, hearing some of the crew members chuckle amongst themselves. “Alright.”

Allowing him to move in-front of you, you slid over to the other box. Rolling up your sleeve, you glanced at the hole in it. You couldn’t see anything down there. Somehow, you thought you’d feel better about this, even if it was the tarantula, if you could actually see it. The not knowing was so much more terrifying. 

Once you were ready, you glanced at Ryan. He was watching you, mouth open and breathing heavily. 

“You look like you’re about to get sick,” you laughed.

“I might,” he admitted.

“Is it scarier than g-g-ghosts?” You joked, putting on your best Shaggy voice.

Ryan started, a surprised look crossing his face. A few seconds later, he managed a grin. “You watch Unsolved?”

You nodded shyly. “Big fan.” Feeling your face beginning to heat up, you turned back to Ned. “Ready when you are, guv.” You were feeling the need to be brave with the camera fixed on you.

“Ryan, are you good?” Ned asked.

Ryan swallowed, and nodded hesitantly. You gave him your best encouraging smile. “On three?”

“Sure.”

“Okay,” you breathed. “One. Two.  _ Three _ .”

Slowly, you both reached into the box. Your eyes were on Ryan’s face as you did, seeing the panic in his expression. Leaning forward, you had to stretch to get your arm all the way down, careful not to smush anything at the bottom. Your fingers touched the hard end, and you breathed a sigh of relief. A few seconds of nothing passed, and you looked at Ryan and waited. He was frowning too, obviously not having touched anything either.

And suddenly, something fuzzy brushed your hand. Your arm jerked, not knowing if it was a kitten or spider as both had some kind of hair. Gritting your teeth, you kept your hand in place. Something brushed it again, and you squeezed your eyes closed, praying silently. And then a tiny, wet tongue touched your hands and you knew it wasn’t the tarantula. Your eyes snapped up to Ned, and he gave you a small wink. Then you were sure, and breathed a sigh of relief. 

Just then, Ryan let out a loud yell and leapt back. The box rocked, and you stuck out your other arm to stop it from falling too. He danced back, holding one hand in the other. “That was a spider. It ran across my hand. That was the  _ spider _ . I have the worst  _ fucking  _ luck with these things.”

You laughed, petting the kitten and feeling the vibrations as it purred against your hand. Ryan freaked out for a few more minutes, and Ned told you that you could open the boxes. You struggled to get the lid off, but when you did a little black kitten with green eyes stared up at you, meowing. Cooing, you reached in and lifted it up. It snuggled against your chest, claws digging into your shirt and you turned back to Ryan, who was using the lid as a shield for the lower half of his face. Only his eyes peeked at the tarantula form where he was crouched away from it.

Leaning over, you peered in. It was pretty big, maybe the size of your hand, but it seemed pretty chill. Still, you weren’t tempted to pick it up. 

“Anyone want to hold it?” A man stepped forward.

You chuckled. “I’m good, thanks.” Ryan just shook his head wordlessly.

“Go on, Ryan,” Ned called. “For the cameras.”

“No way, man.”

“Steve, give Ryan the tarantula.”

You skipped back as the man from before walked over to the box. Leaning in, he scooped up the spider in his hands. 

“Nope,” you muttered, clutching the kitten tighter as you scurried away.

He approached the terrified Ryan, who was basically pressed back into the wall. It took a few seconds of persuasion, but in the end Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and held out his hand. The man placed the spider into it, and Ryan stayed perfectly still. After a few seconds, still with his eyes closed, he spoke. “Take it back. Take it back. _ Take it back. _ ”

“Alright,” the man chuckled, taking the massive spider against before walking back to the cage.

Ryan opened his eyes, and you stepped forward to offer him the kitten. “I’ve called him Mr Snuggles. Enjoy.”

“Cute,” Ryan chuckled, but took the kitten.

“That works, guys. Thank you,” Ned spoke again, before turning to the crew who began to chat amongst themselves.

You watched for a few moments, before facing Ryan again. He was smiling at you, now no longer terrified. 

“So you’re new here, right?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “I’ve been around for like a month.”

“Sorry I haven’t introduced myself yet,” he replied. “I’ve been busy with the show.”

“Oh, no worries,” you waved him off. “I saw you working but I was too nervous to come say hi.”

“Why?” He asked, and you struggled for an answer.

_ Because when I met your co-star he was a jackass and I was afraid you’d be one too. _

In the end, you settled for, “I didn’t want to come across as weird.”

“Well, don’t worry. I just did that there,” he grinned.

“You don’t like spiders, eh?”

“Spiders, snakes, ghosts. The list goes on.”

“But not all ghosts can harm you, right?” You responded, genuinely curious.

He perked up a bit, shifting the kitten in his arms. “You believe?”

You shook your head, then paused and shrugged. “Not really. I don’t know. I mean I don’t believe but I also don’t  _ not _ believe. I acknowledge the possibility that it could be out there, and there’s no way of knowing for sure if it is or isn’t.”

“So you’re on the fence?” He inquired, interested.

“I think that’s the best way to describe it. I think I’ll always be on the fence. Like I’ll go to one place and be like ‘possibly ghosts here for sure,’ and then I’ll go to another and be like ‘not haunted. Because ghosts aren’t real. Not at all. It’s difficult to explain. I’m just never able to make up my mind because there’s not enough evidence either way.”

Ryan seemed to perk up as he listened. When you were finished, he nodded slowly. “I get what you mean. It’s hard to find someone like you, so open to being undecided. Most people are firmly either skeptics or believers.”

“Guess I’m unique then,” you joked.

“A special snowflake.”

“Now you sound like an asshole.”

He laughed. “I didn’t mean it like  _ that _ .”

You knew he hadn’t, so you grinned and let him off the hook. “So, Ryan. What’s it like being a bonafide ghostbuster?”

“Well, I don’t get a suit or a catchy theme tune, but it’s fun,” he chuckled. 

“You’ve done really well with the show,” you complimented. “I kept hearing about it everywhere.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I didn’t expect it to blow up like this.”

“Anywhere exciting for next season?” You asked. “Any spoilers you wanna throw me?”

“Well, we’re headed to Ireland in two weeks. Gonna go around all their spooky sites.”

“Wow, that should be fun!”

“I hope so,” he nodded, suddenly looking a bit bothered. “Yeah, I hope so…” He trailed off kind of awkwardly, so you found yourself touching his arm.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

He hesitated, glancing around at the crew. They didn’t seem to be listening. His eyes returned to you, and he paused for another few seconds. Finally seeming to make up his mind, he leaned closer to you.

“It’s just my buddy Shane, the one who’s also on the show? He’s been pretty down recently. His girlfriend broke up with him like two months ago, and then a couple of week’s ago he found out that she was dating someone else.”

Suddenly, you remembered Shane’s face as he stormed past you in the lobby. The hurt, sadness and upset there, twisted together into a jumbled ball. With Ryan’s explanation… Yeah, it made a bit more sense. You felt yourself soften towards Shane Madej slightly.

“He was meant to be here today, shooting this with me,” Ryan continued in a low voice. “He just didn’t show up.”

You nodded slowly, absorbing all the information. Once Ryan had finished talking, you straightened up and laid a comforting hand on his arm. “He’ll get better soon. Break-ups can be rough. Besides, I’m kind of happy he didn’t show up today.” You smiled softly as you said the words, showing him that you meant no harm. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be hanging out with you right now.”

The familiar grin once more spread across his tanned features. He nodded happily, a friendly look in his eyes. “Hey… I know this may sound weird, but would you mind going for a drink or something later. I have an idea about the show I’d like to discuss with you.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “With me?” You repeated incredulously.

He nodded, looking amused again. “Yes, with you. Would you be open to it?”

Unable to stop it, a huge grin began to spread across your face. “Sure.”

_ Maybe… Maybe do meet your heroes, after all. _

 

***

 

At 7pm that evening, you found yourself sitting in a bar just down the road from the office, wondering what Ryan Bergara wanted to talk through with you. Not that you minded at all, at least one of the Buzzfeed Unsolved guys had turned out to be nice in real life. If you were honest, before encountering him you thought that Shane would be the one with more time for other people. He had seemed a bit more easy-going on screen, but then Youtube could be deceiving.

Ryan arrived back at the table, a beer for himself and a gin and tonic for you. Settling into the stool on the opposite side of the table, he gave you a friendly grin.

“I didn’t know if you took lemon or lime, so I asked for both.”

“Good call,” you replied, leaning forward to clink your glass off his.

“So,” he settled his hands on the table, clasping them in a business-like manner. “You’re probably wondering what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Maybe a little,” you joked, and then gave him a kind smile.

“Well,” he responded. “For a while now I’ve wanted to add something to the show. We have me, the believer, and we have Shane, the six-foot-skeptic. I thought it might be a cool idea to have someone else with us. I didn’t want another believer or non-believer, because I want to keep the equation balanced. So over the last few months I’ve been looking for someone who is on the fence. Someone who will come with us, not be biased, and say either ‘I think this place is haunted’ or ‘I don’t think this place is haunted.’ So far, I haven’t had too much luck. The older staff members all have their own things going on, and I didn’t feel like any of the newer ones were a good fit. You’re the first person I’ve come across that I could see integrating with the group.”  

You were silent for a few moments, barely able to believe what you were hearing. Ryan simply looked at you expectantly, waiting for an answer. When you managed to speak, you surprised yourself by protesting. “You don’t even know me.”

Ryan simply shrugged. “I’m willing to take that chance. Are you?”

You hesitated for a moment, reaching out to take a sip of your drink to save you a few more seconds before answering. This couldn’t be real, it had to be some sort of dream. But… It wasn’t. Ryan was waiting, an expectant look in his brown eyes. He smiled at you reassuringly, and suddenly you knew the answer.

_ Why on earth would you ever pass this opportunity up? _

“Yes,” you answered. “Count me in.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unsolved is out tonight! So in celebration, here's another chapter of 'On The Fence'!
> 
> Special thanks to longwarmhugs. If it wasn't for her constant support, and her encouraging me to post in the first place this even though I had doubts this story wouldn't be here. She is an absolute angel, and I'm so lucky to call her my friend.
> 
> ALSO. I know from the 'Almost 70 Episodes' video that Mark is the cameraman for Unsolved, but when I wrote this I had it as TJ, who I think is also cameraman sometimes. I'm leaving it as TJ as its easier on me. Mark seems kinda shy and TJ seems confident enough, so I'd have to change a lot of scenes if I was to switch them.

A few days later, you got an email from Ryan. He was frantically busy trying to add one extra person to the trip, and asked if you could meet him for dinner on Saturday evening. You had had plans with Sasha, but she understood the need to change, and so you let Ryan know that your schedule was clear. He gave you directions to a Mexican place a few blocks away, and so on the selected day you arrived there slightly before the prearranged time.

Dressed in a grey t-shirt and white shorts, you took a seat and waited for Ryan to show. 6:30pm came and went, and you begun to worry that he’d forgotten. Just as you were about to call, someone cleared their throat above you. Glancing up, you saw a vaguely familiar looking guy. He smiled at you, and offered a hand.

“_____?” 

“Yes,” you replied, rising to your feet and shaking his outstretched arm.

“I’m TJ. The cameraman for Unsolved.”

“Oh gosh, hi!” You exclaimed. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognise you.”

He waved you off good naturedly. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not usually on screen, so you wouldn’t have seen too much of me. Ryan’s late again, isn’t he?”

“I think so,” you chuckled. “He never told me that you were joining us. Not that I mind, of course.”

TJ grinned. “Shane will be here too. He’s usually fairly on time, so he should be here any minute.”

_ Shane. Oh. _

You had no idea if he’d even remember you from the lobby, and internally cringed. This had the potential to be very awkward. Still, you kept the happy grin plastered on your face, even though you felt it was a bit strained. TJ didn’t seem to notice in any case. 

“Ryan thought we should all get to meet before we set out,” TJ told you. “Get to know each other a bit.”

“That’s a good idea,” you agreed. “I would have felt a bit awkward heading out with a group of strangers.”

“We’ll go easy on you,” TJ joked, and you chuckled. “So, what’s it like being new? Anyone have you doing coffee runs yet?”

“Thankfully not,” you responded. “I’m enjoying it. Everyone’s… everyone’s very friendly.”  _ Except, y’know, that one person. _

As if making vague reference to him in your thoughts had conjured him, behind TJ the door opened and a familiar face stepped into the restaurant. Obviously noting something in your expression, TJ turned. The man coming in the door twisted to face you both. For the third time in LA, you froze.

“Shane, buddy!” TJ called happily.

But Shane just stared at you, a shocked expression on his face. And you knew he remembered you. Feeling your cheeks heat up, you quickly shifted your eyes on TJ, who was moving forward to give Shane a manly hug. Even while not directly looking at him, you could tell that the taller man was just staring at you.

“How are you?” TJ was continuing, unaware of the awkward tension now permeating the air.

“Good, how are you?” Shane responded, eyes still fixed on you.

“I’m great,” TJ responded, “bonding with our lovely new team member. Have you guys met yet?”

Silence. TJ’s head swivelled between the two of you, smile faltering as he waited for an answer. You just tried to push back the nervous butterflies in your stomach. In the end, Shane spoke first.

“Not officially. I’m Shane Madej. Or Shane. Just Shane.” He extended a hand.

You took it, feeling his warm hand. Plastering a smile onto your face, you dipped your head. “I’m _____. Nice to meet you.”

You shook his hand twice, before releasing it as quickly as you could. Slipping it back into the pocket of your shorts, you twisted back to pretend to look at the counter. 

“What’s taking them so long with our table?” You muttered, trying to move onto a new topic.

Instead, your words had the worst impact that they possibly could have had.

“I’ll go check,” TJ said, and before you could stop him he was striding away.

Leaving you alone with Shane.

Not knowing what to say, you dropped your gaze to the floor. You scuffed your shoes over the tile, wanting the earth to just open and swallow you up. You could see Shane’s feet in-front of you, and registered he was shifting around almost nervously.

“Hey,” he said, his voice soft.

Despite yourself, you looked up. His brown eyes were trained on you, and he looked guilty and embarrassed.

“I just wanted to say… I’m really sorry about that day. You caught me on a very bad moment, and I was a total jerk to you. There’s no excuse.”

A warm lump built in your throat, and you swallowed. Not sure you were able to speak, you simply nodded. Returning your eyes to the ground, you jumped slightly as tentative fingers landed on your shoulder. Once more, you met Shane’s pleading stare.

“I’m serious. I’m really sorry, ____. I’ve wanted to apologise for a while, but whenever I caught sight of you, you always had people around. I didn’t even realise until now that you were  _ you. _ I shouldn’t have snapped at you, I was totally out of line.”

Looking at him now, you could clearly see how sorry he was. This was the guy from the videos, the snarky smartass with an obviously soft heart. The asshole from the street was gone. You could feel your coldness melting away, until it no longer existed. A smile grew on your face, slow and tentative at first. Shane encouraged it with one of his own, and you reached up to pat his arm.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it. How about from here on out we focus on just being friends?”

A relieved expression crossed his face. It seemed like some small weight had lifted from him. “I’d like that.”

“Good,” you grinned, elbowing him gently in the side, “because apparently we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”

Once again, the door opened. This time Ryan came rushing in, slightly red faced and out of breath. Shane turned to arch a brow at him. Ryan held up a hand, bending over slightly as he caught his breath. You waited, an amused grin on your face. Once Ryan could speak again, he said “sorry guys. I forgot.”

Shane rolled his eyes before turning back to you. “Better get used to this,” he whispered in a mock-conspiratory fashion. 

You giggled, just as TJ returned with the waitress. She led you to the table, and you were pleasantly surprised that Shane pulled out your seat for you. He motioned for you to sit down, and you did, trying to smother the huge grin threatening to split your face. He helped you scoot the chair back towards the table, and across it you caught sight of Ryan. His mouth was clamped shut tightly, but there was a weird, excited expression on his face. You didn’t know what was causing it, but also didn’t want to ask. 

The menus were handed out, and for a few minutes everyone read there’s in silence. Eventually. Ryan spoke. “What’s everyone thinking of having?”

“I’m thinking nachos,” yourself and Shane said at the same time.

Pausing, you exchanged startled looks, before both starting to laugh. After a few seconds it subsided, but you didn’t miss the happy smile Shane sent your way. You understood, and returned it. You both were glad to be getting along. 

“Would you, uhm, wanna split a large?” Shane asked. “The portion sizes in this place are huge.”

“Sure,” you smiled, “but I’ll warn you that I have a tendency to double dip.”

He shrugged. “That doesn’t bother me.”

You chuckled. “Alright then. What about you?” The last part was directed at both Ryan and TJ.

“Chimichangas,” Ryan replied immediately.

“Still deciding,” TJ answered as he continued to scan the menu.

A few minutes later, he decided on a burger. The waitress returned, and you gave your orders. The guys all ordered beers, while you settled for another gin and tonic. Catching Shane smirking at you, you arched a brow.

“Look at you, being all fancy,” he teased. “Though G&T and nachos? Interesting combo.”

Rolling your eyes, you poked your tongue out at him. “Enjoy your rotten-fruit water.”

“Ew,” Ryan wrinkled his nose. “Why do you have to describe delicious beer like that?”

You shrugged primly, feeling a sense of victory. “It’s the truth.”

“But it’s gross.”

“Sometimes the truth is gross.”

“Touche,” Shane cut in.

“Suck-up,” Ryan shot back at his friend.

“Okay!” TJ interjected, chuckling. “Enough bickering, kids. Ryan, any updates on the Ireland trip?”

Ryan shot Shane one last mock-glare, before turning to address the whole table. “Yeah. So everything is sorted. ______ has a plane ticket. Unfortunately, she’s one row behind the rest of us because I had booked for us three to all sit together before I knew she was coming.” He gave you an apologetic look, but you shrugged it off. “We got approved to get an extra bedroom for her, so no one has to double up at least.” The last part was said with a pointed look at Shane.

You looked at him inquisitively, and the tall brunette guy simply shrugged, a slightly cheeky grin on his face. “I kick in my sleep.” 

“It’s all sorted anyhow,” Ryan said. “One and a half weeks to go, and we’re all kicking it in the Emerald Isle.”

There were murmurs of approval from around the table.

“So, Ryan,” Shane started. “What ghouly-ghoul adventures are in store for us this season?”

“Oh man,” Ryan chuckled, a slightly nervous expression crossing his face. “It should be good. I won’t tell you too much, but Ireland has some seriously spooky shit. Plus… I need to double up on the holy water. I’ve decided that this season I’ll do two demonic sites.”

Shane, who had been in the process of taking a drink of water, spit it back out into the cup. His eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, are you serious?!”

“Don’t say it like that,” Ryan laughed, “you’re making me wanna change my mind.”

“Why, though?” TJ added curiously.

You nodded, wanting to know too. From the episodes you had seen how terrified Ryan was of demons. You didn’t know why he’d even willing subject himself to one, let alone two encounters.

“It was just too good to pass up,” he replied. “Both places seem fucking terrifying, and the fans will love it.”

“What are the sites?” You asked.

“One is a old mansion house out in the country supposedly visited by the devil and haunted by the spirit of a dead girl, the other is on top of one of the mountains in Dublin. An old ruined hunting lodge. Back in the day it was owned by this young lord and he and his friend, some kinda cult or some shit, used to have parties and rituals up there. It’s said that they manifested demons and stuff.”

You nodded slowly. “Sounds pretty good.”

“Yup,” Ryan agreed. “And we’re gonna be staying overnight in that old mansion. It’s used as a tourist attraction now though, so it shouldn’t be bad.”

Your eyes widened in horror as a sense of unease began to run through your body.  _ Fuck. _ You’d forgotten that that may be part of the deal.

“I’m alright with that,” Shane shrugged nonchalantly. “Nothing could ever be as filthy as that floor in Waverly.”

You shuddered, remembering the video in question. “Yeah, I have no idea how you guys did that.”

“With a great amount of terror,” Ryan deadpanned, causing you to laugh. “Anyways, ______. We need to go buy you a sleeping bag and all now.”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “You’re starting to put me off. Is it too late to back out?” The last part was said as a joke.

As scared as you would be in the moments that may come, you were really excited about this whole prospect. I mean, it was the dream, wasn’t it? You get to be in one of your favourite shows and explore the world on your company’s credit card. You could handle a few nights of rough sleeping.

Your food came then, a huge plate of nachos being places between yourself and Shane. You started as you caught sight of it. The tall guy had been right. It was huge. An amused laugh rang out, and your eyes snapped up to focus on Shane’s face. He smiled in a friendly manner, nodding towards the food. “Was I right to suggest we share?”

“For sure,” you chuckled. “Good call, sir.”

“Ladies first,” he gestured to the nachos before settling back.

You reached out, taking a chip coated in cheese and sauce. It smelled amazing, and you could feel yourself beginning to salivate a bit. Taking a bite, you had to admit that these were the best nachos you’d ever tasted. Seeing your expression, Shane chuckled before beginning to dig into his own. 

Everyone became pretty occupied with eating, and you had to stop around halfway through your share of the nachos. There was just way too much. Shane just smiled, and continued to munch. You watched him almost incredulously. He was stick thin, you had no idea where he put that much food. TJ laughed, noticing your expression.

“Oh, you wish you were me,” Shane shot back jokingly, causing you to giggle once more.

He really seemed to be making an effort to get on with you tonight, something that you appreciated. You had been really worried that there would be tension between the two of you, but after he had apologised it had pretty much dissipated. Any remnants were destroyed as you broke bread, or rather, shared nachos.

The rest of the meal passed quickly. You got a scoop of ice-cream for dessert, and Ryan got a brownie, while Shane and TJ simply ordered more beers. You all chatted and laughed together, the boys telling you off-screen adventures and funny moments from Unsolved episodes passed, and you told them a bit about your life. When you reached the part about the break-up with your boyfriend, and the subsequent move out here to L.A., Ryan and TJ exchanged a slightly awkward look that you didn’t quite get until you noticed Shane’s downcast eyes.

Faltering, you ceased talking, realising that this was not probably the best topic of conversation. Obviously noticing your silence, Shane’s head jerked up. His eyes looked sad, though his mouth was twisted in a wry smile. Reaching out, you placed a tentative hand on his arm.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he waved you off. “I’m getting better at dealing with it.”

“If it’s any comfort, I know what you’re going through,” you told him honestly. “Feel free to come to me if you ever need to talk.”

He dipped his head, somewhat sad but still friendly. “Thank you. It shouldn’t be necessary though.”

“Alright. But just in case,” you replied with a gentle look, before tactfully changing topic to the moving fiasco when you had dropped a box of underwear down the stairwell while carrying it up to your new apartment. 

The guys all began to bust up laughing, and you found yourself grinning widely. Your story had worked, as even Shane was chuckling pretty hard, leaning forward and listening earnestly. 

“I mean,” you laughed, “it was basically raining panties out there. Just fluttering through the air. Granny panties, boyshorts, thongs, you name it. All floating down like inappropriate snowflakes. I think it was the most embarrassing moment of my life. Scratch that, the most embarrassing moment of my life was spending fifteen minutes having to pick them up-”

“Stop,” Ryan gasped, tears of mirth welling up in his eyes. “I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s a lot funnier when it isn’t you,” you joked, but you didn’t really mind. You wouldn’t have told the story if you weren’t okay with being poked fun at. 

“Did you find them all?” Shane asked. “Or to this day do lost pieces of underwear roam the desolate halls of the building?”

“Stop,” you groaned. “I think I got them all, but if I’m honest I’m only like 80% sure.”

“Still a pretty high percentage,” TJ shrugged.

At that moment, the bill came. You totted up your total, and then took a twenty and a ten from your purse. Everyone had brought cash, so you had enough to cover the food and also leave a decent tip for the waitress. She smiled as she collected the money, and you thanked her as you took your bag from where it hung on the back of your chair. Looping it over your arm, you followed the others out the door. Standing on the sidewalk, you all eyed one another.

“I’m sorry to be ‘that guy,’ but I’m pretty tired,” Ryan spoke. “I’m gonna head home.”

“That’s fine,” you smiled. “I was meant to be seeing a movie with my roommate tonight but I cancelled because of this. It looks like we could probably make the later showing now.”

“I’ll head too,” TJ agreed, “unless Shane wants to tear up the town?”

The man in question held up his hands and laughed. “Nope. I’m good. I have a wild night in store. Gonna go home and watch Paddington or something.”

You chuckled, before an idea popped into your head. “You could always come to the cinema with us? Sasha wouldn’t mind.”

“It’s okay,” he smiled at you. “Thanks, though.”

“No worries,” you grinned back at him.

With the evening sun filtering over him he looked pretty handsome. Though you had always found him kind of good-looking. Even what you thought he was a jerk.

A throat was cleared, and you realised you’d been staring at him. Your eyes fell on Ryan, who seemed smug for some reason. Rolling your eyes, you said, “sorry. I had a bit of a fangirl moment. I still can’t believe that this is all really happening.”

Shane held his hand in-front of you, snapping his fingers right before your face. You started in shock, and stared at him in confusion. Laughing at your wrinkled brow, he explained. “You didn’t wake up. It’s real.”

“Funny guy, aren’t you?” You replied, poking your tongue out at him.

“Okay, guys,” TJ chuckled. “I’m gonna get going. See you next week. And _____? Lovely to meet you. I’m really looking forward to working together.”

“Thank you,” you smiled, touched by his friendly demeanor. “Me too.”

Winking at you, he turned and begun to walk away.

“I’ll head too,” Ryan spoke up. “What way are you guys walking?”

“This way,” you and Shane once again said at the same time, pointing in the same direction.

Ryan laughed loudly. “Alright. I’m going the other way. I guess I’ll see you guys later.”

Stepping forward, you opened your arms for a hug. He seemed to colour slightly in embarrassment, but moved into you. His arms wrapped around you, and he gave you a firm hug. 

“Glad you signed up,” he said quietly into your ear.

“Thanks for signing me,” you replied softly, before pushing yourself gently back.

Ryan’s eyes settled on Shane. “Bye, Goliath.”

“See you later, garden gnome.”

Ryan started at Shane’s comeback, but didn’t seem able to think of a retort. Rolling his eyes, he waved once more before turning on his heel and striding away. Once more, you were left alone with Shane. This time, however, you were okay with it.

“Shall we?” The tall man asked, a friendly expression in his brown eyes.

“Sure,” you grinned, following him as he began to walk away.

His legs were so much longer than yours that you struggled to keep up. Obviously noticing how you were half-jogging after him, he slowed his pace to something your shorter frame could handle. You shot him a look of thanks, and he just dipped his head as he softly hummed to himself.

“So, you live this way?” You asked.

“Yup. Moved in a month and a half ago. After my girlfriend and I split.”

“That’s rough. Is it nice at least? The new place?”

“Oh, it’s great,” he nodded. “I decided to just get my own apartment. No roommate for me. It’s relaxing.”

“That’s fair,” you nodded, “I don’t think I’d be able for that. I like having a roommate. Someone to hang out and watch movies with.”

“Maybe I’m just a loner,” he joked.

“Nah,” you replied. “People like you. And I kinda think you like them too, though you may pretend not to at times.”

“I like dogs more than people,” he interjected.

You simply shrugged. “Who doesn’t?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy that Shane and Reader have made up? Want to keep it that way? Let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a built slower, but hey, I have scenes to set! I should have the chapter updated next month at the latest, I'm busy enough right now!

It was 4am when your alarm woke you up to head to the airport. Staggering down the stairs while rubbing sleep from your eyes, you lugged the suitcase after you as you made your way through the lobby. Pushing open the door to the outside world, you started in surprise when gentle fingers touched your hand. Shane had stepped out from the shadows beside the door and taken the bag from your tired grasp. 

He seemed a bit too awake for the early hours of the morning, eyes bright and alert. Seeing your groggy expression, he simply chuckled and gestured towards the awaiting Uber. You had decided to share, as it made sense because you only lived a block away from each other. It had picked him up first, due to you being slightly more in the direction of the airport than him.

Climbing into the car, you muttered hello to the driver before collapsing in the back seat. You could hear Shane at the boot behind you, storing your bag in the car’s confines. Within less than a minute, he was back, sliding into the seat beside you. You thanked him softly, and he shrugged it off.

“Airport, yeah?” The driver asked.

You nodded, making eye contact through the rear view mirror. Leaning forward, you zipped open your handbag to be doubly sure that you had your passport and boarding pass. They were safely nestled within the confines of your bag, so you relaxed once more. Turning back to Shane, you gave him a tired smile. “Wake me up when we get to the airport?”

“Sure thing,” he chuckled. “Go ahead and sleep.”

“Thanks,” you sighed, before snuggling down in your seat and closing your eyes.

You felt the slight tug of the world around you as the car jostled around while it drove. Still, you were mostly able to ignore it and continued on in that half-asleep state where you were still kind of aware what was going on around you. The aircon was on full blast, and it was a cold night anyhow. You felt yourself shiver slightly. Beside you, Shane rustled around softly. A few seconds later, you felt something being draped over you.

Unable to open your eyes, you became pulled into a deeper sleep. Time flickered by like water rushing down a stream. You weren’t sure how long had passed before a hand gently shook your shoulder. Spluttering slightly as you woke up, your bleary eyes settled on Shane. The lights in the building behind illuminated his silhoutte, making his features hard to see.

“We’re here,” he told you with a smile.

The Uber driver took the money of your card, and then you reached for the handle. It was only when you moved that you noticed an olive green jacket settled over your body. Confused, you looked at Shane. It was then you realised that the coat he was wearing earlier had gone. Smiling softly, you picked it up and handed it back to him.

“I’ve already told you that I forgive you for the first day we met, you don’t need to keep trying to make things good with me. We are good.”

He shrugged. “I just wanted to do the chivalrous thing. Despite the display I put on that day, I like to think I’m a decent guy.”

“Well,” you replied, touching his arm, “the gesture was much appreciated.”

A slight blush coloured his face, and then he opened the door and slid out of the car. Chuckling quietly to yourself, you followed him. The cab driver helped you unload your bags from the trunk, and then you were on your way into the airport, wheelie suitcase trailing behind you. Ryan and TJ were already there. Once Ryan distributed the plane tickets, you headed to the front desk to check in your luggage. TJ’s was slightly overweight due to be laden down with the majority of the equipment, so you swapped some stuff into your own since your bag was far enough off its weight limit. With that sorted, you headed through security and into the terminal.

The guys wanted coffee, and so you joined them in the cafe but did not get anything. The flight from LA to Ireland was long enough, and if you were able to you wanted to be able to sleep through it. You did however buy a blueberry muffin, which you happily munched on. Soon enough, it was time to board. You queued in-front of the check-out desk, the last in line out of the four of you. You were too busy digging around your bag to make sure that you had everything, and so lingered behind. 

When you reached the attendant, you smiled while handing her your ticket. She scanned it through, and then hesitated momentarily. Immediately your grin dropped as you noticed she’d paused.

“Is there something wrong?” You asked worriedly.

“Are you sitting alone?” She enquired, still clutching your ticket.

“Yeah. My friends are in the row in-front of me.”

“If you’re not sitting with them, we have a spare seat going in first class.”

Your brow shot up. Behind the attendant, Ryan laughed. “Oh, go on then.” Shane just shook his head, pretending to be disapproving, but you could see the small grin on his face. TJ just rolled his eyes. 

“Of course,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “Your first time and you get upgraded.”

Smiling ruefully, you nodded at the attendant.

After that, the flight was very nice. Per first class tradition, you almost immediately received a glass of champagne, which you happily sipped while reclining on a large, comfy seat. The TV in-front of you was definitely bigger than those in coach. It was for sure the best way to spend a ten hour flight, and you’d use the comfort to get as much rest as you could. It was going to be an extremely long trip. 

You would land in Dublin, and stay overnight in the airport hotel. Then in the morning you planned to rent a car, and drive the almost two and a half hour journey to Limerick to the first location. The journey would begin there, until you eventually worked your way back to Dublin. You’d spend two days there, and then take a flight back to LA. Ryan had told you they’d never spent as long in another country before, but when he looked up all the things to do in Ireland it was hard to cut it down. The country hosted a variety of myths and legends that were more than just the regular ‘haunted hospital/asylum/penitentiary,’ and he’d managed to get the funds to do a good many of them. It sounded like a good trip, and you just hoped that it would go well.

Settling back, you picked out a comedy to watch on the little TV infront of you. It would have been nice to get some sleep, but you now felt too excited to be able to rest. Instead you sat, eyes glued to the screen as you munched on a chocolate bar and occasionally wondered how the guys were getting on. You didn't have to wait a particularly long time. Around two hours into the flight, someone touched your arm. The unexpected poke caused you to jump, ripping your earphones out as your gaze snapped to whoever was touching you.

Shane laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. He was crouched on one gangly leg, his forearm draped across your armrest. There was an amused smile on his face, and despite yourself you rolled your eyes.

“Can I help you?” It may have sounded harsh, but the jokey tone showed you weren't actually annoyed.

He shrugged. “I just got bored. Ryan and TJ are asleep. Figured I'd come see how you're doing up in the lap of luxury.”

“I am perfectly content,” you responded airily, reclining back and spreading your arms wide. “Though,” you leaned forward, a playful glint in your eye as you dropped your voice to a conspiratory whisper, “are you sure you're allowed up here?”

He chuckled, visibly enjoying the banter. “Trying to get me kicked out?”

“Not trying. Just obeying aviation law.”

“I don't think this qualifies.”

“Well, I don't think you know enough about aviation law to say that it  _ doesn't _ .”

He opened his mouth to respond, before pausing. No words came out and his brows pulled together as he frowned slightly. “Touché,” he relented.

You giggled slightly, before clapping your hand to your mouth in mock awe. “Did I just win a verbal sparring match with Shane Madej? I better go tell Ryan. This has never happened before.”

“I've been beaten,” Shane chuckled. “The show's over.”

“Because that’s what it’s all about,” you chuckled. “Proving you wrong in any way possible.”

“Oh, a hundred percent,” he retorted with a smile. “Game over now.”

“Looks like we can just holiday in Ireland then,” you added.

Shane didn't say anything, seeming to ponder that idea for a few minutes. “That doesn't sound too bad. Though this thing will be like a holiday anyhow. Apart from visiting the places in the evening we're kinda free to do what we want during the day.”

“Have you ever been?” You enquired curiously. “I don't think I've ever asked before.”

He shook his head. “I haven't. I'm looking forward to it, though it's meant to rain a lot over there.”

You nodded in agreement. “I saw that too. Bought myself a nice waterproof jacket.”

Shane shrugged. “I figured I'd get one over there. It's summer. How bad can it be?”

“Those sound very much like famous last words,” you comment, causing him to chuckle again.

“Let's hope not,” he poked your shoulder playfully. “You're gonna have jinxed me now.”

“Oh, you believe in jinxes?”

“I do  _ not _ ,” he said vehemently. “Figure of speech.”

“Suuuuure,” you replied playfully, arching a brow at him.

“I don’t,” he repeated firmly.

“Okay,” you answered in a sly tone, continuing to tease him. 

Obviously realising what you were doing, he simply left it be. Catching sight of the empty glass in your arm rest, he arched a brow. “Did they actually give you champagne?” He asked incredulously, eyeing the flute in disbelief.

“You betcha,” you responded, settling back. “I live among the swells now.”

“And they don’t pick up peanut shells,” he added, causing you to now look at him incredulously.

“You’ve seen the Greatest Showman?”

“How could I not have,” he shrugged. “Advertising was everywhere.”

“That’s true, what did you think?”

“It was alright, thought it would be a bit better though. How about you?”

“I liked it well enough. Especially the songs.”

“They were pretty catchy, that’s true.”

You continued to talk for another twenty minutes, until Shane got tired of kneeling on the ground and headed back to the others. Instead of continuing to watch movies, you reclined the seat and tried to get comfortable. Getting some sleep would have the time pass quicker. Soon enough, you managed to drift off. It was true, it was much more comfortable in first class, so you fell asleep quicker than you ever had before on a plane. 

You woke up when the captain came on over the intercom, announcing you were going to land in the next half an hour. While you were on the aisle seat, you had a clear view through the little window. The plane was circling Ireland overhead, and you could make out land below the wispy clouds. Yeah, it was pretty green. Certainly lived up to its name. 

You wondered how the boys were doing. It would have been nice to pop down to them, but the fasten seatbelt sign was on. Instead you just kept watching out the window. Soon enough, it began to descend. You gripped the armrests a bit tighter, always slightly nervous at this part. You hadn’t realised you were holding your breath until you released it when the tires actually touched the ground, jolting everyone slightly. 

From there it was the usual, gathering your stuff, everyone queuing to get out. Being in first class, you were one of few initially off. You walked through the tunnel, not wanting to stop and hold people up. Instead, you just waited out in the open at the end. It only took a few minutes for them to come along. Ryan was tiredly rubbing his face, while TJ just gave you a groggy smile. Shane was the only one who seemed properly awake, and shoot you his signature toothy grin. You smiled back, stepping forward to greet them.

It was the early hours of the morning, and the airport was mostly empty. Still, it took a while for everyone to get through passport control. The airport was clean and well air conditioned, so you didn’t really mind waiting in line for a few minutes. The official who checked your passport was nice enough, not super talkative seeing as he was probably tired, but still polite. 

When you got though and out the exit, you stepped into a wide open space for the arrivals. Some people waited behind a barrier, holding signs or leaning against a bannister or waiting for family and friends to come through. Ryan checked the directions on his phone, and while he was doing so you saw Shane sneak off from the corner of your eye. As TJ and Ryan tried to figure out where to go, you followed your disappearing co host. 

He had spotted a gift shop, it seemed. The place was filled with green items. It was closed, but he stood outside the window, staring in at the displays. You moved up beside him, eyes roving over Guinness souvenirs and fridge magnets with leprechauns among other memorabilia. 

“They really play into the whole stereotype, don’t they?” Shane laughed softly.

“I’m pretty sure it’s just because we’re in the airport,” you chuckled. “I could see all the elderly American tourists just lapping this up.”

“I’m gonna buy something on the way back,” Shane decided. “What should I get?”

“Not the leprechaun magnet,” you grinned, gesturing to it. “It’s terrifying.”

In all fairness, the paint was not great. The leprechaun looked more like Chuckie in a green suit than it did a friendly little man with a pot of gold. 

“Well I’m definitely going to get that for you when we go home,” Shane teased.

You were about to respond when Ryan’s voice interrupted you. Together, you and Shane turned towards him. He was pointing out a door, a tired smile on his face. “We’re going this way.”

Nodding, you all regrouped and headed out the automatic doors together. The air wrapped around you, and you shivered. It wasn’t freezing, but after living in LA for two months it was certainly colder than you were used to. Still trembling slightly, you tugged your hoodie closed, zipping it up slightly. Ryan led you to a stop, and you only had to wait a few minutes before the hotel shuttle came along. After confirming with the driver, you loaded up and headed back. No one really spoke, the long journey weighing heavily between you all. 

You would get to have around 7 hours of sleep before you were up. It was a decent amount, but you couldn’t wait until your head got the chance to hit the pillow. The airport hotel was not far at all, to be honest you could have walked it in the same amount of time. Checking in only took a couple of minutes, and then you were in the lift headed up to your rooms. The four rooms were all close together, two beside eachother on either side of the hallway. There was no difference between them, so Ryan handed out the keys at random.

You were in the room beside his, with TJ across the hall. Shane’s room was opposite Ryan’s. After reconfirming a time to wake up and get breakfast, everyone said goodnight and headed to bed. Exhausted, you pushed open the door, padding slightly into the room before basically dropping your suitcase on the ground. Part of you wanted to just simply go asleep now, but you knew that you really needed to get changed. Groaning slightly, you crouched to grab the pyjamas from where they rested at the top of your suitcase. You pulled them on quickly, before grabbing your toiletry bag. As you did, there was a knock on your door.

Brow furrowing in confusion, you hurried over and peered out the peephole. Ryan stood outside the door, looking at something further down the hall. You opened it, and he smiled sheepishly at you.

“Mind if I borrow some toothpaste? I forgot mine.”

“Yeah, of course!” You exclaimed, opening up your toiletry bag and handing it to him.

He took it, but paused slightly. “Can I come in, just to wet the bristles?”

You laughed, nodding understandingly. “Yeah, of course.” Stepping back, you opened the door wider and ushered him through. You saw him peer around curiously, before heading into your bathroom. Leaning in the doorway, you watched him turn on the tap, wetting his toothbrush before he squeezed some toothpaste onto it. 

Turning back around, he gave you a wide smile. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, amigo,” you shrugged.

He watched you for a moment, then asked. “How are you feeling?”

“About what? The show?”

He shifted almost nervously. “Yeah.”

You sighed, letting your mind flow over some of the worries you had tried to block out. “I’m a bit nervous, to be honest. The fans love the dynamic that you and Shane have. They like it being just the two of you. Someone else suddenly joining may not be received well.”

He nodded understandingly. You could see a hint of relief on his face, and figured he had been afraid he may have to warn you about a possible negative reaction. “Just be yourself,” he advised. “You’re smart and you’re funny. You fit right in with us, and the fans will see that too.”

“Hopefully,” you sighed, brushing some hair back from your face.

“Look,” he started, “if the reaction is bad and you want to go, that’s fine. Just say the word. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable or feel forced to do this.”

You smiled at him, touched by his words and the seriousness of his expression. “Thanks Ryan.”

“No problem,” he chuckled before pushing himself away from the sink and straightening up. “There’s no point worrying, in any case. Just be you. What’ll happen will happen.”

“The grand concept of fate,” you joked.

“You don’t believe in fate?” He responded curiously.

You shrugged, a small laugh bubbling up in your throat. “Sometimes I do. But you know me. I’m on the fence.”

He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “I better get going so you can get to sleep. See you at 9:30am Irish time.”

“Roger that,” you replied as he passed you. You followed him into the hallway, watching him reach for the door to the bedroom and open it. “Have a good night, Ryan. Sleep tight.”

“Don’t let the ghouls bite,” he called over his shoulder, before he slipped through the door and was gone from your view. 

The door clicked closed behind him. Tilting your head to the side, you listened. You were able to hear when he opened the door to his room next door and went back in. Smiling softly, you headed into the bathroom to brush your own teeth. When that was done, you tied your hair into a ponytail and slid into bed. The sheets were clean and soft against your skin, and you sighed contentedly as you turned off the light and settled down. You were asleep in minutes, too tired after the journey to keep your eyes opened for one more second.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Have a lovely day!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's me, back from the dead.
> 
> God, this chapter was hard to complete. Its main purpose is to set up the story still, so nothing much happens during it which can make it kinda difficult to sit down and write. At this point I don't really have time be fussy about what I put out, so here it is!
> 
> Thanks so much for your kudos, comments, bookmarks and subscriptions. You're all so kind! Jut to let you know I have seen all your comments and will get around to replying hopefully in the near future. I figured you wouldn't mind if I used this flash of free time to upload the chapter instead ;)
> 
> Excuse any grammar discrepancies, I'm on my phone and autocorrect keeps subbing random things in. Apologies if that has happened during the upload.

The next morning was a bit of a blur. You were up at half nine in the morning Irish time, still somewhat groggy and jet lagged. Your body clocked seemed to be all over the place, and even the usual morning coffee didn’t help. You sat at the table at breakfast, moping over your full Irish breakfast.

Ryan and TJ were in a similar state, though Shane was as perky as ever. He seemed to be permanently happy, except for the first time you had met. However you knew him well enough now to figure that that had been an exception.

Seeing as Shane was the most alert, he was the one tapped to drive to Limerick. He didn’t mind, just made a lot of jokes about staying on the correct side of the road. In Ireland, they drove on the left hand side. It threw you a little as you were so used to the American system, and you secretly hoped that you would never have to drive over here. Just in case.

The journey took a few hours. You sat in the back seat with Ryan, your legs thrown slightly over his own. He'd rolled his eyes at you when you had put them there, but didn't seem to mind too much. Despite directions from Google maps, you all still managed to get a bit lost. By the time you got there it was 2pm, and you wanted nothing more than to get out of the car and move your legs.

Groaning as your feet hit the pavement, you lifted both arms over your head and stretched, shifting your weight from one hip to another as you did. The boys laughed at your dramatics, but you ignored the with a dismissive wave. Still aching slightly, you turned to examine the hotel you were staying in.

It was nice, kind of boutique. Four star. You could see into the lobby, and it looked clean. The river was right behind it, and you could hear the slight gush of water down rapids.

Something collided gently with your fingers, and you looked down to see TJ passing you your suitcase. You smiled at him, murmuring thanks as you gripped the handle. Together, the four of you made your way up the steps and into the hotel.

You were greeted by a smiling woman at the desk, the pin of her chest letting you know her name was Lisa, and that she was the general manager. Ryan brushed past you, stepping forward to take care of the booking. Allowing the men to deal with that stuff, you moved back slightly to turn on your heel. Your examination solidified the conclusion that you had come to outside, that this seemed like a really nice place. Nodding confirmation to yourself, turned your attention back to the desk.

Lisa was handing out small square cardboard boxes. Shane leaned back, passing one to you, and you saw a room number written on it. Key cards. Obviously.

Thanking Lisa, you all proceeded in the direction she pointed you in. When you reached the shiny doors of the elevator, you reached forward to press the button just off to the right of them. For a second no one spoke, everyone tired again after the car journey.

“Okay,” Ryan broke the silence. “How about we take a nap, and meet downstairs for dinner at 5? We'll aim to finish up around 6:30, and then take half an hour to get ready to go to the site. It shouldn't be too far, but I've read that it's kinda hard to find, so I'd like to get there before daylight fades.”

“Sounds good to me, man,” Shane shrugged.

“Yeah, as long as a nap is factored in I'm good,” TJ agreed.

Ryan looked at you. You just gave him a small smile and a tired nod. His face twisted in understanding and sympathy, and he patted your shoulder.

The elevator dinged, the doors opening. With some slight jostling you all managed to fit inside, crammed quite close together. You were squished between Ryan and Shane, facing Ryan with your hand on his shoulder for balance. Shane stood behind you, and you could feel his chest lightly brushing your back. His breath ruffled your hair, warm against your ear.

Sharing a sheepish smile with them both, you fixed your eyes on the ground and thought that there were worse places to be.

Your room was up on the second floor, so it only took a few seconds before you were out of the elevator and padding through softly carpeted corridors. Eyes continually scanning direction signs and each passing room, you quickly found yours. This time Shane's room was beside you, with Ryan opposite him. TJ, like last time, was across from you. Separating to stand at your individual doors, you all exchanged tired smiles.

“Alright, so 5 o’clock?” You asked quietly, hand rising to your mouth to stifle a yawn.

“Yeah buddy,” Shane nodded. “I could really use some z's.”

“Sleep well, guys,” TJ called, turning to press his keycard against the room door. The small light flashed green, and he pulled down the bandle and pushed the door open.

Ryan just smiled, giving you a mock salute, before doing the same. He disappeared into his room, leaving you and Shane in the hall. Catching his eye, you exchanged friendly grins.

“So,” he said, leaning towards the door and nodding to it with faked cool, “this is me.”

You laughed, shaking your head fondly at him. “Gonna invite me in for a drink?”

“To thank you for walking me home,” he looked back. “It was very chivalrous of you.”

“I'm nothing if not charming,” you retorted, looking at him as you fished your keycard out of your pocket. “Have a nice nap, Shane.”

“You too, ____.”

You stepped inside the room, feeling his eyes on you. The door swung closed behind you, slowing slightly before it softly shut with a click. A moment later, you heard Shane’s door do the same. Heading to the bathroom, you washed your face with the cloth provided. It was stiff and clean, and once more you thought about what a nice hotel this was.

Padding out of the bathroom, you picked up your bag from where you’d left it outside the door only to bring it over and dump it on your bed. The room was bright and airy, though it immediately darkened as you tugged the heavy curtains closed. Using your phone, you found your way back to the bed in the darkness. Once around it you were able to turn on the lamp so you could see as you opened your bag.

Seeing as you’d be moving around pretty often, there was no point in unpacking. Fishing around inside the rucksack, you located the soft material of your pyjamas by touch. Fingers grasping the fabric, you carefully pulled them from your bag. After changing you retrieved your charger, plugging it into the wall before peeling the thick duvet off the bed and settling in with a contented sigh.

Picking up your phone from the nightstand, you fired off a few texts. One to your parents, one to Kelsey, and one to Sasha. Once you had sent the final one, you locked your phone and placed it back on the nightstand. Reaching for the lamp your fingers fumbled for the switch in order to turn it off. There was a slight click, and then darkness flooded the room.

You settled back into the bed, closing your eyes. Just then, three knocks filled the air, seemingly coming from directly over your head. Your eyes snapped open, staring into the blackness as confusion wrinkled your brow.

_What was that?_

It came again right after, three loud thuds. The headboard behind you vibrated along with it. It took you another second before you realised where it was coming from.

The wall behind you.

The room beside it.

Shane.

Three knocks. He was checking in. Or something along those lines.

Smiling to yourself, you raised a fist, and rapped against the wall just above your head, giving him two thuds in response.

There was no other response, but you hadn’t expected one. Shutting your eyes again, you felt a vague sense of satisfaction. It was nice that he was checking in on you.

With the ball of warmth in your chest, it didn’t take long to fall asleep.

 

***

 

Your alarm blared in your ear, a bit too loud for comfort. Groaning softly, you rolled over. Your uncoordinated hand flailed around until it hit “snooze” on your phonescreen. You'd never hated anything more than the tickling time of your alarm.

It cut off mid-ring, and you rolled over onto your back in tired satisfaction. The duvet bunched around your legs as you did. Slipping your hands up to rest under your head, you started at the ceiling above. You could make out the white paint in the darkness.

Slowly, your eyes began to slip closed once more.

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door. You jolted awake again with a fright, head snapping towards the door to your hotel room.

“______?” Ryan's hesitant voice rang out. “You up?”

“Yeah,” you called back with a slight grumble as you rolled out of the bed. “I'm here.”

Carpet brushed against the soles of your feet as you padded towards the door, rubbing crusts of sleep from your eyes as you did. Reaching the door, your hand closed around the handle before yanking it open.

“Hi,” he smiled, dark rings under his puffy, slightly red eyes.

You tried to stifle a yawn, but failed. He chuckled, before the urge to yawn overcame him too. You both laughed as it finished, your head coming to rest on the doorframe as you waited to hear what he had to say.

“Shane's gone on down to grab a table. I don't think he slept very well.”

“Okay,” you nodded, “and TJ?”

“Getting ready.”

“I’ll be down in a few,” you told him.

Giving you a thumbs up, he stepped back and disappeared as you shut the door. From there your pace increased as you dressed and quickly applied some make-up. You weren’t planning on overdoing it, but you did want to be presentable for the camera. It made you slightly later than you should have been, but it didn’t matter too much in the end as Ryan sent you a picture of the menu and you told him what to order for you.

Rushing down, you joined the others in quickly eating your meal. There wasn’t too much chatter as everyone focused on getting their food down in time. After paying the bill there was another quick trip upstairs so everyone could brush their teeth and grab the equipment before you loaded up into the rental car once more and switched on Google maps.

It was still bright out, which you were thankful for as the country roads would have been hard to navigate otherwise. It was still pretty hard as it was, it turned out that the place you were going was not beside a road or anything, and also lacked signage. Somewhat hesitantly, you parked on the side of the country road and all climbed out of the car.

However, by that stage the sun was sinking a bit lower in the sky. Orange light illuminated your surroundings, making them incandescent and peaceful all at once.

“Hey man, are you sure that this is the right place?” Shane asked for what was around the twentieth time.

Ryan was already striding into the trees, phone held before him so he could navigate. He had a camera strapped around his chest, and his pistol of holy water on his belt. In his other hand, he held a torch.

You had the spirit box and ovilus in your backpack, and your own flashlight in your hand. Shane and TJ were carrying the camera equipment.

“Come on,” Ryan called back to you. “I think I see something through the trees.”

“Is it more trees?” You yelled back, causing the two men behind you to laugh.

“I guess we’ll just have to see, smart ass,” Ryan chuckled, motioning you forward.

Grinning, you hurried to catch up with him, careful not to trip over any roots or fallen branches. He waited until you arrived at his side, before continuing to move. You ducked under some low hanging leaves as you moved further into the forest. Without meaning to, you reached out and caught hold of his arm to stop yourself from overbalancing as you stepped over a rotting log. Instead of moving away, he put his phone into his pocket and grasped your hand in his own, helping you make your way over the uneven ground.

Before long, it seemed to become a path. Not a concrete path or any form of structured walkway, but a wide trail of fallen leaves going through the woods. Exchanging a nod with Ryan, you silently began to follow it.

After around five minutes, you reached the abbey. It was mostly a crumbling ruin at this stage, though some walls still stood. Pausing for a moment, you stared at the crumbling stone wall of the entrance, staring into the arch of the doorway. Miraculously, it was still intact. Aiming your flashlight inside of it, you were able to make out a few more semi-intact walls.

“Welcome to chez-ghoul,” Shane remarked as he stepped up beside you.

“Let’s get set up while there’s still some light,” TJ added.

There was a murmur of agreement from the group. The boys moved first, knocking into you slightly as they stepped past. Ryan seemed lost in a daze, and TJ distracted by thinking of filming logistics. Only Shane noticed you weren't moving. Pausing, he turned back on his heel and regarded you with one brow arched.

“Decided this isn’t for you already?”

“You wish,” you scoffed.

He huffed out a laugh. “That remains to be seen.”

Chuckling, you shook away the nerves and finally began to move forward.

You took a quick look around, scouting the area a bit to get your bearings and to find a good spot in which to start the video. For this part you mostly hung back. The guys had a lot more experience on this stuff so you trusted them to make the call. It mostly seemed to be Ryan and TJ figuring it out, as TJ had camera experience and Ryan just had very set ideas about what he wanted.

Shane stood a little bit away, his face illuminated by his phone screen as he typed. Catching you watching him, he shot you a wink before he returned to texting.

Shoving your hands into your pockets, you spun on your heel as examined the crumbling structure around you once again. It had almost a fairy tale feel to it, but more of a “Hansel and Gretel and witches in the woods” vibe than anything lighter. It was definitely creepy, especially the dark hole in the corner where the ground sloped down to disappear into a small cave.

“______?” TJ's voice rang out and you jerked your attention back to him.

“Yeah?”

A quick assessment noted that the camera was set up on it's tripod, pointed at Ryan and Shane who were standing on a small mound of dirt and stones a little bit in front of it.

“Do you wanna come over? We're good to go.”

“Shit. Yeah. Sorry,” you muttered, hurrying it over.

He grinned as you passed him. “No worries, kid.”

Carefully, you began to make your way up the small lump of earth. Your arms were held out on either side of your body, keeping you balanced. It was not too large by any means, you just really didn't need the embarrassment of falling in front of everyone on your first night. After a few steps you grew level with the other two. Shooting them a small smile in greeting, you turned back to face TJ and the camera he was now checking.

A rock came loose from under you, rolling down the lump, and you slipped. A strong hand circled your arm tightly, catching you before you could follow the stone down the mound. Your fingers latched onto the arm that gripped you as it tugged you back up to safety.

“Careful,” Shane said as he released you. “I know that since you signed onto this whole thing people have been telling you to ‘break a leg’ but it wasn’t meant literally.”

“Stop,” you laughed, throwing him a sheepish smile. “And thanks.”

“I got your back,” he responded with a wink.

“Okay guys,” TJ called, looking up from the lense of his camera. “We’re good to go.”

You turned to look at Ryan, who was skimming through the last few pages of his notes. Shuffling them a few more times, he finally folded them and shoved them back into the pocket of his thickly padded jacket.

“So we’ll start off with the intro, just talk about the site we’re on and who you are. You’ve read the script, right? Just loosely follow it, it’s more of a guideline than anything. Once that part is done I’ll give you the rundown of the area and backstory. I’ll be doing a voice-over when we’re back in office as the sound won’t carry as well out here so feel free to laugh or interrupt me or whatever. Shane does all the time.”

Shane held up a finger to interject. “And it’s how we get all our funny moments.”

Ryan rolled his eyes, while TJ let out a barking laugh from behind the camera. “Not all of them.”

“A good 80%,” Shane answered decisively, a small smirk curling his lips upwards.

Ryan just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to TJ. “Alright. Will we get this show on the road?”

“Just say the word, we’re all set.” The cameraman nodded before his eyes fixed on you. “Are you good to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” you smiled, shoving your hands in your pockets and biting down on the nerves.

“Okay then,” Shane spoke up. “Ain't no backing out now. Roll it, Teej.”

TJ chuckled but bent down in front of the camera. A second later he held his hand up, counting back from three. You quickly ran a hand through your hair, dropping it back to your side just as he hit one finger.

The green light came on.

Ryan leaned forward, the usual confident grin plastered on his face. “Hello and welcome to the premiere episode of a new season of Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural. This season is very special, not just because we are filming half of it in Ireland, but also because we have a new castmate joining us this season. Please give a warm welcome to-”

“Let the woman introduce herself,” Shane exclaimed with a laugh.

You couldn’t help but giggle. Ryan cut off, before chuckling sheepishly and relenting with a wave of his hand.

“I swear, man. You really do like the sound of your own voice,” Shane continued to tease.

“Wouldn’t be the show without it,” you retorted quietly.

“It’s only the first episode and you two are already ganging up on me, I’m starting to think that this was a bad idea,” Ryan commented dryly.

“That remains to be seen,” you mimicked Shane's words from earlier, shrugging with fake nonchalance.

Ryan just shook his head, sighing in exasperation as he stared up at the darkening sky. “This is going to be a long night.”

“Your dramatics are just prolonging it even more,” you reminded him, elbowing him playfully.

“Right, well we’ll continue then,” Ryan shook his head, but he didn’t seem actually annoyed. “Go on. Say hello to the kids.”

His hand landed on your back, urging you forward. You stumbled slightly as you moved, caught off guard, but managed to stay upright. Taking a step so you stood a little bit in-front of the boys, you aimed a shy wave at the camera TJ was holding. It was somewhat comforting to have his friendly face behind it.

“Hey ghouligans,” you smiled, voice coming out stronger than expected. “My name is _____ ______. I’m new to Buzzfeed and Ryan and Shane were nice enough to adopt me for this season of Supernatural. Though to be honest I’m thinking they only invited me because they needed someone to carry around their luggage.”

Ryan laughed behind you, as Shane’s voice rang out joyfully. “She’s our pack mule!”

You turned your attention back to the camera and dropped your voice to a conspiratory whisper. “They don’t lift, you see.”

“Except for Shane carrying around his big head,” Ryan interjected.

“That is true,” you nodded with a mock serious expression, ignoring Shane’s indignant snort in the background. “But yeah, another reason I’m here is that I’ve openly admitted to being pretty indecisive. I'm just not sure if I believe in ghosts or demons or any of the other stuff. But I also can’t say that I _don’t_ believe in it, as I can’t ignore the possibility of unknown things being out there. So, I guess the boys have to sway me in some way. Ryan will have to give enough evidence to make me a believer, while Shane will have to convince me to join the ranks of the skeptics.”

“This is going to be so easy,” Shane chuckled in the background.

Ignoring him, you clapped your hands together. “Let the ghoul games begin!”

You kept the pose for a few more seconds than you usually would, until TJ nodded at you. Dropping your hands back down in-front of you, you looked at him almost nervously.

“That was good,” he told you with a nod. “Natural and casual. You bounced off the guys really well. We figured we might want to get some reshoots of your intro if it didn’t turn out okay the first time, but I honestly don’t know if we’ll get anything as seamless as that again. We don’t want anything that looks forced, that’s not what this show is about.”

“What do you think, _____?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, it’s your introduction piece after all,” Shane added. “But I gotta say that I liked the line about the ghoul games.”

Chewing your lip, you mulled it over for a few seconds before nodding. Now that it was over, the adrenaline had fled and you were left feeling a little bit jittery and nervous. “I’m happy with that. I really don’t know if I can pull off as casual as attitude again if I'm trying to repeat the stuff I just said.”

“All good,” TJ nodded. “We’ll probably edit it so that right after you say ‘let the ghoul games begin’ it cuts straight to Ryan’s explanation of the site.”

“Perfect,” you dipped your head, listening intently.

“Great, now on to the explanation of why we’re here.” Ryan reached into his pocket, the crinkle of paper filling the air as his fingers wrapped around something. He pulled back out the few pages of notes, and unfurled them.

You and Shane both moved in a bit closer to him, standing on either side. It was a clear night with no wind to hinder his voice carrying, but you still wanted to be sure you could hear everything clearly. Ryan cleared his throat once, and then began to read:

“On this episode of Buzzfeed Unsolved, we find ourselves investigating the ruins of the Abbey of the Black Hag. This is found near the village of Shanagolden in Limerick, Ireland, and is the first stop out of a number of locations we will visit on our Irish tour. We are here in Ireland due to the country’s reputation as a hub for supernatural events.”

“Welcome to Spook Island,” Shane jokingly cut in.

You laughed softly. The same joke had actually crossed your mind a few seconds earlier, but you didn’t want to interrupt Ryan so early on into your first episode. It would take a bit longer for you to gain the confidence to do a Shane on it.

“There is some creepy stuff around here,” Ryan nodded, “but unfortunately we won’t get to visit all of it.”

“Sad reacts only,” you muttered before you could stop yourself, causing Ryan to look at you in confusion, and Shane to scoff beside him. “Continue, please,” you chuckled, gesturing politely.

Ryan shot you another look with an arched brow, but turned back to the paper. You caught Shane’s eye, and the tall brunette gave you a quick wink. Feeling heat in your cheek, you shot him a smile before immediately turning your attention back to Ryan.

“The Abbey goes by many names, such as Mainistir na gCailleach Dubh, Black Nun’s Abbey, Abbey of St Catherine de O'Conyl, or simply as the ‘Old Abbey.’”

“I’m sorry,” Shane laughed. “What was that first one?”

“It’s the Irish name for it,” Ryan told him. “Irish Gaelic.” Turning to look at the camera, he spoke louder. “I’m sorry to anyone out there if I butchered it. I did my research, but some of these names are impossible for me to pronounce.”

“Yeah, I can’t _wait_ to hear how wrong you got this,” Shane continued loudly, voice filled with mirth, “any Irish viewers out there, feel free to tell Ryan what a moron he is for getting those names wrong.”

You held up a hand to your lip to try hold back the burst of giggles at Shane’s words. Ryan just stared at him with a blank expression.

“Wow,” he finally commented, before looking straight back down at his notes and resuming talking. “It was a nunnery, which sources believe was established around the 13th century, as the first mention of it was in a document dated 1298.”

“Jesus,” you commented before you could stop yourself, lifting your head to glance at the ruined stone walls around you. “It’s old.”

“Very old,” Ryan agreed. “The abbey then fell into ruin in 1541 due to religious reformation at that time. And this is where our story kicks off. While some sources say more than one, at least one nun, the final prioress of the Abbey, was said to have practised witchcraft. The room in which she conducted her dark magic was said to be on the southern side of the building. While her identity has never been confirmed, she was said to be a noblewoman who had joined the Abbey, a Lady of the FitzGerald family, who lived in the nearby Shanid Castle.”

A soft breeze rustled the leaves overhead, and you jumped slightly. It wasn’t scary, it had just caught you off guard. Ryan and Shane, who were probably well used to things like that at this point, didn’t seem to notice. Ryan just continued speaking, his voice even.

“The witch was said to have terrorized the local people and the surrounding area. Some reports say that she was in-fact convicted of witchcraft and executed, but the sources are rather unreliable and few and far inbetween. I only included this because they said the Abbey was nicknamed the ‘Black Abbey’ after the colour of the witch’s face when she died.”

“Or just named so because the stone they used to build it was dark,” Shane cut in casually.

Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Or maybe just because she was said to have practised black magic?” You offered hesitantly.

The boys exchanged a look, before they both shrugged.

“That would make sense,” Shane was nice enough to say.

“Thanks for the validation,” you grinned back.

He held your grin for a moment, before swivelling his head between you and Ryan. “So, we’re going witch huntin’? Should have brought my old witch huntin’ boots.”

“You don’t really have witch hunting boots, do you?” You asked incredulously.

“Unfortunately, he does,” Ryan sighed. “Though they aren’t specifically for hunting witches. They’re just ghoul hunting boots in general.”

“Super stylish,” Shane agreed. “No, I’m not kidding. Ryan liked them so much he went out and bought a pair of them for himself too.”

“Shane Madej, style icon,” you joked.

Unembarrassed as usual, Shane struck a pose, one hand resting on his hip and one of his brows arched. “Don’t you know it.”

“I’m just going to ignore this and continue,” Ryan told the camera.

“Oh, you aren’t done?” Shane asked. “What did the witch do? Zoom back into this mortal coil to Avada Kedavra some wandering locals?”

“You’re insufferable and disrespectful,” Ryan told him. “And no. This next tale is actually entirely unrelated to the witch, and about separate incident that befell here.”

“Let’s hear it, then.”

“The Abbey,” Ryan paused for effect, “is also said to be haunted by another ghost left behind in tragic circumstances. At the time, there had been an ongoing feud between the Earl of Desmond and another family known as the Butlers. The Desmonds were fleeing when Countess, the Earl’s wife, was hit by arrow. The Earl thought she was dead, and so he interred her under the church altar in the Abbey before continuing to flee with the rest of his family.”

“I can tell where this is going,” you groaned, hand going to your head.

Ryan shit you a quick smirk, and then continued. “However, later appearances of her ghost caused people to suspect that something was wrong and investigate. What they found shocked them. When they retrieved her body, they saw that her finger bones were found to be worn and ragged, something that had not happened before. The Countess had not died when the arrow had struck her, and so she had been buried alive, and reportedly tried to claw her way out of the makeshift grave.”

Shane sighed. “Well, she was unsuccessful.”

You almost choked.

“Jesus Christ, Shane!” Ryan exclaimed, scandalized.

“Oh come on, I was just stating the obvious.”

“But you don’t need to be so… Crass about it!”

“She found it funny.” Shane pointed at you.

Ryan whirled to face you, and you broke off mid giggle, plastering an innocent expression on your face.

“No I don’t,” you countered lamely, but they both could see right through it.

Ryan threw up his hands in exasperation. “You both are horrible people.”

“I didn’t say anything!” You argued indignantly.

“I’ll take it,” Shane shrugged, causing you to laugh again at his constant nonchalance.

“Alright,” Ryan shook his head. “Enough jokes at the expense of dead people. Let’s get to investigating, it’s starting to get cold out here.”

“Can’t wait to see what we find,” Shane remarked sardonically, and this time you couldn’t stop the burst of laughter from leaving your chest.

“You won’t be so smug if a witch pops out and puts you in her cauldron,” Ryan called over his shoulder as he walked away, past TJ who was still rolling the camera.

“She’d struggle to find a cauldron big enough to fit his goddamn head,” you quipped.

That time, it was Ryan who laughed.

 

***

 

There wasn’t much left of the Abbey, so it didn’t take long to get through taking some short clips of you all wandering along some walls and calling out to ghosts. There was never any answer, just the sway of branches in the wind and the crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot. At one stage, a bird flew out of a hollow in the ruined walls, causing you to shriek, Ryan to scream, and even Shane to recoil slightly in fright (though he vehemently denied being frightened by the bird and claimed it was due to you and Ryan’s over the top reactions).

Finally, you headed for the two main locations of your visit. Arriving at the first, you couldn’t help but stare apprehensively into the pitch black pit before you. The ground sloped downwards from your feet, bleeding away into darkness. Instead of flat earth, a sort of small cave lay below you. You couldn’t see how deep it was, but you knew either the castle wall or the stony foundations of the Abbey must cause it to end before it became too deep. Still, it was absolute nightmarish and there was no way you’d ever go down there.

“Right, this is where the southernmost room is said to have been,” Ryan announced. “Let’s go.”

_Ummm, what?_

“Down there?” You asked, trying not to appear too panicked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“That’s the Black Hag’s cell,” he explained. “It’s where she practised witchcraft.”

“Looks cozy,” Shane remarked, already making his way down into the cavern.

It was going to be too low, you’d have to duck in there.

“We’re going to conduct a session with the spirit box,” Ryan told you. “Maybe do a minute of silence, and then we’ll be out.”

“The minute of silence, is that going to be alone?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, also looking slightly nervous.

“Okay,” you smiled tightly, trying to appear brave.

Carefully, you made your way down the slope. Yourself and Ryan went first, you preparing to lunge for him if you slipped on the muck underfoot. It was only when you got to the bottom and turned to look up that you saw Shane helping TJ bring down the camera and the stand. In your haste (and fear), you'd forgotten your manners.

You apologized to TJ, but he waved you off with a smile. Quickly, he set everything back up at the mouth of the tiny cave and then looked at you three.

“Be my guest,” he motioned into the dark depths.

Stifling a groan, you followed Shane and Ryan in. Not wanting to sit down, you kneeled on the ground on Ryan's left. He was on the middle, with Shane on his right. One of your hands found a mossy rock to grip for balance, as you tried to get comfortable.

“I hope you're ready, because this will be _deafening_ ,” Shane peered around Ryan to glance at you playfully.

“Good thing BuzzFeed pays for my medical insurance,” you retorted, causing him to laugh.

“Alright guys,” Ryan interrupted you, drawing your attention back to the small black box he held on his lap. “Here we go.”

Leaning forward, he turned the box slightly and flicked a small switch at it's side.

It. Hurt. Your. Skull.

It had never seemed that loud in the episodes, but now the white noise screech of the box was nearing unbearable. You'd always thought Shane had overrated, but now you could only sympathise. You exchanged a disbelieving look with Shane, who nodded as if to say “I told you so,” and knowing Shane he probably was saying that.

It continued as Ryan spoke to it, trying to elicit some form of conversation. Apart from a few jumbled words that made no sense, you did not get anything.

After a few minutes Ryan decided to call it. The initial relief you felt quickly faded when you remembered you'd each have to take turns down there alone. Obviously seeing your terrified expression, the boys let you pick in what order you wanted to go in. You told them you wanted to go in the middle, with one before you and one after. They readily agreed, and Ryan stayed in the hole while you and Shane walked back up the small slope to the flat land above.

You could hear Ryan talking below, trying to coax the spirits to speak before falling silent. It was not the most fearful you'd ever heard him be, you took comfort in that. The comfort, like the earlier relief, ebbed and died when he came towards you and it was your turn to go back down.

Your earlier trepidation about falling came back, and you were careful heading back down. Ryan gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze as you passed him. Ducking back down into the cave, you sat on a sloped rock and pulled the ovilus off the catch in your belt. You had asked to use that instead of the spirit box under the pretense of wanting to use a variety of equipment in the episode, but really your ear canals just couldn't take the roar of the spirit box again.

Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you turned it on. It made a few noises and your heart clenched. You relaxed slightly when you realised it really didn't sound like anything and cleared your throat. It took a few more seconds to work up the nerve to speak but finally you did.

“So… Witch. Prioress,” you started, trying not to let your voice tremble. The little red light on the camera before you showed you that it was recording. You could only imagine how wide eyed and terrified your face must look. “I’m just here for a little chit chat. I’m not completely certain I believe in you yet, but this place is definitely creeping me out. So kudos with that, you have an appropriate lair. I’m going to be quiet now, so if you want to say something, please do. You can do it through my little box. “ You held up the ovilus as if to show it. “But please don’t let it be scary. My heart might genuinely stop.”

“You know,” Shane’s voice rang out from outside the cave, “the whole point of this is to let the _ghouls_ talk.”

“How about you just mind your business up there,” you called back, not actually irritated as you knew he was simply messing around. His joke had actually brought you a level of comfort as you crouched in the cold, damp darkness.

Taking a deep breath, you turned off your flashlight and switch on the ovilus. It gave a few cursory beeps, but stopped after a few seconds. You set it down on the stone before you and waited.

And then there was absolutely nothing, save the occasional blip that did not sound like anything. You couldn’t see anything. Just pure darkness. The metal of the flashlight was cold in your hand, and you gripped it tightly. Wind whispered through the cave, and you held your breath.

One beep.

Nothing.

The two minutes seemed to drag out for ages. You were almost sweating, afraid that it would never end. Finally, after what seemed like half an hour, it happened.

“_____? Time’s up.”

“Oh thank fuck,” you muttered, immediately throwing yourself forward and scrabbling out the entrance.

Just as you passed, something cold touched your forehead. You leapt away, let out a short shout. Staggering out of the cave, you peered fearfully back into its depths, fingers going to your forehead. They came away wet.

Almost sagging with relief, you wiped your sleeve across your forehead. Just a droplet of water dripping from the moss on the rocks overhead.

“All good?” Shane asked, crouching down slightly to peer into your face.

“Yeah,” you laughed it off. “Just slipped slightly.” You didn’t want to admit that a tiny bit of water had scared you.

“I’ll be careful.” He made to move past you, hand landing reassuringly on your shoulder. “You did good.”

“Thanks,” you said, feeling pleased and embarrassed all at once. “Have fun down there.”

“Oh, I will,” he chuckled, before disappearing into the darkness.

As you made your way up to Ryan and TJ, you could hear him rustling around in the cave behind you. Coming to stand by the show’s host, you ignored the camera pointed at you and turned to smile at Ryan.

“Well, we lived.”

Ryan chuckled. “Yes, we did. Scary as fuck though.”

“It definitely wouldn’t be my Disneyland,” you agreed.

“Watch him now,” Ryan leaned in to whisper to you, breath brushing against your ear as he gestured to the cave below. “He has absolutely no fear. I can never decide if he’s brave or fucking stupid.”

“He doesn’t believe in it, so it makes it easy for him,” you responded in a soft tone.

“I know,” Ryan shook his head. “I just… I still have no idea how he does it.”

“But you’re glad he does,” you retorted with a grin. “The dynamic between you is what makes the show so great.”

“Oh,” Ryan responded, elbowing you in the side. “I thought it was all the effort I put into it. My mistake.”

You laughed, pushing back against him with your shoulder. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” he winked, before turning back to watch the cave below.

Soon enough, your timer beeped. Minutes went by a lot faster when you weren’t in the cave.

“Okay, Shane. You can come out now,” you called.

There was no movement. No noise.

You called to him again, and when you got no response you turned to look inquisitively at Ryan. The man beside you rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“He’s waiting to scare us. Don’t give him what he wants.” Raising his voice, he called into the cave. “We know what you’re up to, man, come on out.”

There was no sound of any kind.

After another few attempts to summon Shane that got no reply, you turned helplessly to Ryan. Even he was frowning a bit. Wordlessly, you nodded at eachother and slowly began to make your way down the tiny slope, to the small opening of the cave. Your fingers grasped Ryan’s arm for support, as the leaves and dirt under you were slippy and you were trying to move quickly.

Reaching the bottom, you pulled out your flashlight and turned it on. “Shane?”

You could see nothing in the depths. Ryan moved in-front of you, lowering himself into a crouch as he prepared to enter.

Something erupted out of the darkness to your right.

You screamed, hurrying backwards. Ryan yelled too, trying to scrabble back out of the cave mouth, but losing his balance and falling backwards into the dirt. The back of his head banged on the toes of your sneakers, and you grabbed one of his flailing arms to start dragging him back with you.

Then you registered the laughter.

Shane was before you, half-doubled over. He was laughing so hard that he was nearly crying, hand pressed into the side of his stomach. By your feet, Ryan groaned and slumped back onto the ground, chest heaving as he caught his breath.

“That was not funny, you asshole,” you told Shane, shaking your index finger. Back up the hill, you were well aware of TJ’s amusement.

“I’m sorry,” he hiccuped slightly, trying to calm himself down. “It was very funny.”

“Please don’t do it again,” you begged, feeling your heart pounding inside your ribcage.

“I won’t,” Shane held up his hands in surrender. “I just couldn’t resist it just there. Ryan, are you okay there, buddy?”

“I’m not your buddy,” Ryan said from the ground. “I genuinely hate you.”

“That’s what you always say,” Shane stepped forward, offering Ryan his hand. The smaller man took it, allowing his friend to pull him to his feet. “And each time you lie.”

“Let’s just get going,” Ryan sighed, brushing the dirt of his clothes as best as he could. “We’re going to do a session with the ovilus over where the Countess of Desmond was buried alive, and then we’ll wrap up. We’ve been here almost two hours.”

“Sounds good,” you nodded. “I just want to go back to the hotel and sleep.”

 

The spirit box as earsplitting, but you didn’t find the ovilus a drastic improvement apart from the fact that it didn’t nearly deafen you. A few noises came from it sometimes, but you didn’t quite hear the things Ryan claimed it said (he thought he heard it say your name after he asked to repeat it, but you heard nothing of the sort). Much like earlier it just sounded like a lot of jumbled robotic beeps, if you were honest.

Still, despite the horrible story about the altar it did have a nicer vibe to it than the cave, so you didn’t mind being there for a bit. When it became clear that you weren’t getting much activity, Ryan finally decided you all could leave.

You were pretty thankful at that stage, as you were still tired and jetlagged. The night air was also becoming a bit biting. It was also slightly disconcerting to be out in the woods in pitch black but not too frightening as you had the guys with you.

Trudging back to the car, Ryan moved up to talk with TJ about the footage that had been taken. Slowing down slightly, you fell into step beside Shane, who was whistling merrily to himself. Still, you could see the rings under his eyes and knew he was tired.

“Looking forward to a good night’s sleep?” You asked.

He nodded vehemently. “Don’t you know it. And the hotel breakfast.”

“Stop,” you groaned. “I’m dying for some orange juice.”

He chuckled, looking down at you with amusement in his brown eyes. “Strange craving?”

“Not really,” you shrugged. “It’s not like I’m asking for it after I’ve brushed my teeth.”

“Fair point,” he nodded with a chuckle.

Reaching the edge of the woods, you all piled the equipment into the boot of the car before sliding into the backseat. TJ and Ryan, still in conversation about how tonight went, sat up-front. You slipped in to the back, Shane sliding in beside you from the opposite door.

TJ cranked the heat up, and from that point on you were fighting to stay awake. Your eyes kept slipping closed, head falling forward only for you to snap back upright. Shane chuckled in your ear.

“Just put your head on my shoulder,” he told you kindly.

Not willing to argue when you were so tired, you did as he offered. He was tall, but he leaned in so it made it easier for you to do it. You couldn’t help but think he smelled really nice, a like soap and fresh pine.

Sleep came quickly, and you gladly tumbled into it.

 

***

 

You woke up when the car parked back at the hotel, groggily kicking you the door open. TJ offered you his hand as you climbed out, almost stumbling over your own feet in exhaustion. Getting back to your room was a blur, but you bid goodnight to everyone and slipped inside.

You threw on your pyjamas and quickly brushed your teeth. Hastily removing your make-up with a wipe, you knew you couldn’t stay up any longer. You honestly felt like you might just pass out standing.

Managing to make it to your bed, you fell onto it. The headboard hit into the wall with a slight thump, but you didn’t notice as you burrowed down into the comfy duvet.

Just as you were drifting off once more, three knocks sounded from the wall beside your ear. Smiling to yourself, you fished one arm out from under the duvet, and drearily rapped the wall twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New season March 22nd. I'm so happy. It took them long enough (not like I can really talk lol).
> 
> Stay lovely!

**Author's Note:**

> Like it? Curious to see more? Let me know! (It really is the best motivator!)


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